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Homedale zoning board approves factory‑rated hazardous‑material storage lockers at Voyant Beauty on Route 35
Summary
After testimony from an architect and a fire‑protection engineer, the Homedale Township Zoning Board approved Voyant Beauty LLC’s request to place two factory‑rated hazardous‑material storage lockers at its Route 35 facility, following a unanimous roll‑call vote and with fire‑official conditions to be met.
The Homedale Township Zoning Board on Feb. 4 approved an application by Voyant Beauty LLC to site two prefabricated hazardous‑material storage lockers on an existing concrete pad at its Route 35 facility.
Architect Robert W. Adler told the board the units measure roughly 25 feet by 9 feet in plan and stand about 11 feet 4 inches tall; each locker can house about 20 drums or totes and holds approximately 5,280 gallons, he said. Adler testified the lockers will sit on existing 8‑inch structural slabs, would not increase impervious coverage, and are buffered by dense screening from the highway.
Board planner Miss Keller explained the application required a D2 variance as an expansion of a pre‑existing nonconforming use and at least one C variance because the accessory structures are located in what the ordinance treats as a front yard. "This site predates the zoning ordinance, but the proposed outdoor lockers represent an expansion of a nonconforming use," Keller said.
Voyant’s fire‑protection expert, Anthony M. Ordilly of Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants, testified the lockers are NFPA‑30–referenced hazardous‑material storage lockers, FM‑approved and four‑hour fire rated, with dry‑chemical suppression and spill containment. "These lockers meet the requirements cited in the fire official’s Jan. 29 report," Ordilly said, adding his opinion that the units do not create an unacceptable safety hazard when installed and maintained in accordance with code.
A nearby resident raised procedural and property‑value concerns about notice and the increase in outdoor storage. "We weren't told that they're going to expand how much hazardous material will be put there," said Marian Sanderki, who lives in Village Grant. The applicant's counsel and the planner said statutory notice within 200 feet had been provided and that the fire official had reviewed and commented on the plans.
After questions from the board about visibility, quantity of materials and fire‑protection measures, a motion to approve carried on a roll‑call vote with all present members voting yes. The board recorded that the units have already been delivered to the site but would not be placed in operation until local approvals and the conditions specified by the fire official are met.
The board’s action allows Voyant to proceed subject to compliance with the fire official’s January 29 checklist and any other required permits. The board did not list additional conditions in its motion.
